A dream job down under?
Published 14 March, 2009, 09:22
Around 35,000 people from around the globe have applied for what's been described as the best job in the world. One woman from Russia is among the Internet vote leaders.
The winner of the competition will land a trip to Australia's Great Barrier Reef to be caretaker of an island.
Julia Yalovitsina, from the Russian city of Petrozavodsk, has jumped at the chance of swapping her native cold and snow for blue skies and crystal-clear waters.
She used a western version of her name for the application and has honed her English language skills, but she has never worked abroad, or even been to Australia.
The coveted job of caretaker of Australia's Hamilton Island comes with a few perks, a free ticket down under, a villa with a swimming pool and a hefty paycheck of $16 thousand a month to feed the fish and keep a blog.
For the 29-year-old it's all about the adventure.
“Not every person gets such a great chance in their life to touch their dream. I really feel so excited, happy and the lucky one,” said Julia.
If she wins, Julia wants to take her five-year-old son Maxim, who is already learning English, along with her.
A yoga fan, Julia is in good shape, but her everyday life is a far cry from the glamour of her Bond girl style application video. She has a degree in biology and works for a local NGO that promotes health-related projects. Her mother, who's also her boss, believes Julia is the best person for the job.
“She always tries to be best at her studies, at her jobs, at her activities – anywhere,” said Ludmila Prokhorova.
The organizers have sifted through thousands of entries to shortlist 50 hopefuls. Support from online voters can also boost a candidate's chances of landing the contract.
What do her friends think of the application – will she be bringing a piece of Russia with her to sunny Australia?
“A piece of Russia? She’s Russian, she’ll take a big part of Russia there!” says Albina Glushonkova.
The lucky winner will be announced in May, and as much as Julia wants to go, she says when the six month contract is up, she will be happy to come home.
While voting is still open, Julia hopes to get all the backing she can to jet off to her island paradise.
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